Petunia plant named ‘Sunsurfmicshipho’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Sunsurfmicshipho’, characterized by its outwardly spreading to decumbent plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching and flowering plant habit; long flowering period; and medium-sized light pink-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Sunsurfmicshipho’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia, botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunsurfmicshipho’.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventors in Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Petunia cultivars with attractive foliage and flower coloration.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventors in June, 2002 in Shiga, Japan of the Petunia×hybrida cultivar Fantasy Pink, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Petunia×hybrida identified as code number P01-531, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Petunia was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Shiga, Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Shiga, Japan since September, 2004, has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Sunsurfmicshipho has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature, daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunsurfmicshipho’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunsurfmicshipho’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia:

-   -   1. Outwardly spreading to decumbent plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching and flowering plant habit.     -   4. Long flowering period.     -   5. Medium-sized light pink-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Fantasy Pink. Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the cultivar Fantasy Pink in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more decumbent than and not as         upright as plants of the cultivar Fantasy Pink.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of         the cultivar Fantasy Pink.     -   3. Plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Fantasy Pink         differ in flower color.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parent selection. Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more outwardly spreading than         plants of the male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of         the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Petunia can also be compared to plants of the cultivar Suncopablue, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,355. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Shiga, Japan, plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Suncopablue differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were shorter and broader than         plants of the cultivar Suncopablue.     -   2. Plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Suncopablue         differed in flower color as plants of the cultivar Suncopablue         had violet-colored flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Petunia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Petunia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunsurfmicshipho’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up of a typical flower of ‘Sunsurfmicshipho’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Shiga, Japan, under commercial practice during the spring and early summer in an outdoor nursery day temperatures averaging 23° C. and night temperatures averaging 14° C. Plants were grown for about four months with one plant per 13.5-cm container and pinched one time. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Sunsurfmicshipho. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Petunia×hybrida cultivar Fantasy             Pink, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Petunia×hybrida identified as code number P01-531, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About one week at temperatures of             20° C. to 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About three weeks at             temperatures of 20° C. to 25° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Outwardly spreading to decumbent             plant habit. Freely branching with lateral branches             potentially developing at every node; pinching enhances             lateral branch development. Vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 10.2 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 37 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 18.4 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 1.6 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 1.1 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Initially upright to decumbent.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Color.—144A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Before flowering, alternate, simple; after             flowering, opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 3.3 cm.         -   Width.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Rounded.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent; viscid.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:             137A; venation, 145B. Developing and fully expanded foliage,             lower surface: 146B; venation, 145B.         -   Petiole.—Length: About 1.3 cm. Diameter: About 0.8 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: 145B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single salverform flowers             arising from leaf axils. Freely flowering habit with usually             about 31 flowers developing per plant. Flowers not             persistent. Flowers face upright or outwardly. Flowers not             fragrant.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Petunia initiate             and develop flowers about two to three weeks after planting.             Long flowering period; flowering commences naturally during             the spring and plants flower continuously throughout the             summer until the fall in Japan.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about five days on             the plant.         -   Flower diameter.—About 4.3 cm.         -   Flower length (depth).—About 2.9 cm.         -   Throat diameter.—About 8.5 mm.         -   Tube diameter.—About 2.8 mm.         -   Flower bud.—Shape: Cylindrical. Length: About 2.8 cm.             Diameter: About 4.1 mm. Color: 77D.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and             opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:             About 1.7 cm. Petal width: About 1.7 cm. Petal shape:             Broadly obovate. Petal apex: Mucronate. Petal margin:             Entire; undulate. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Tube texture: Pubescent.         -   Color.—Petal, when opening and fully opened, upper surface:             75C. Petal, when opening and fully opened, lower surface:             69B. Throat: 155C; venation, 199A. Tube: 155C; venation,             145B.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five             sepals fused at the base per flower. Sepal length: About             1.1 cm. Sepal width: About 1.5 mm. Sepal shape: Lanceolate.             Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             137B. Color, lower surface: 137C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 0.9 mm.             Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent; viscid. Color: 144C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Five per             flower. Anther shape: Ellipsoidal. Anther size: About 1 mm             by 1.5 mm. Anther color: 155B. Pollen amount: Moderate.             Pollen color: 155D.         -   Pistils.—Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About             2 cm. Style color: 144C. Stigma shape: Transversely             ellipsoidal. Stigma color: 143A. Ovary color: 144A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed on plants of the new Petunia. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 5° C. to about 35° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been     observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Petunia. 

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Sunsurfmicshipho’ as illustrated and described. 